title: Differences in immune response between HCV positive, HIV negative haemophilia A and B patients.
abstract: We measured numbers of lymphocytes and subsets in seven HIV negative, HCV positive severe haemophilia B patients, before and after substitution was changed from prothrombin complex concentrate to monoclonally purified concentrate. Data were compared with controls and our previous findings in haemophilia A. At baseline, haemophilia B patients did not differ from controls. After two years, T helper cells showed an increase (p = 0.028), while a rise in B cells approached statistical significance (p = 0.063). Haemophilia A patients showed increased numbers of activated non-B lymphocytes (p = 0.003) and lowered numbers of B cells (p = 0.001) at baseline. After two years activated non-B lymphocytes decreased (p = 0.004), as did the CD4/CD8 ratio (p = 0.002), due to increasing numbers of CD8 positive cells (p = 0.087). Our data suggest minor inhibition of the immune system in haemophilia B patients, which recovers after changing therapy to a monoclonally purified product. These findings contrast with the excessive immune stimulation in haemophilia A. The observed differences might be due to the administered concentrates.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thrombosis, Haemostasis and Rheology, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. k.meijer@int.azg.nl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Smid
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Verspiek
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Meer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000276:immunology*; D002836:Hemophilia B / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies